FY2027 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Boosted by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Ecolab in a research report issued on Thursday, August 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will earn $9.38 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $9.36. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $8.17 per share.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.13 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $278.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.58. The company has a market cap of $79.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.00, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. Ecolab has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,870,000 after purchasing an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $115,674,000. Cornerstone Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth $16,698,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 29.4% in the fourth quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 21,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,641,000 after buying an additional 4,886 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.

Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.